Possibilities Of Kenaf Fibre

EXTENSIVE experiments in the growing of kenaf fibre are being undertaken in Papua-New Guinea by the local Department of Agriculture from seed im ported from Cuba by one of the principals of Colyer Watson Ltd.

It is understood that about four acres have been planted and that the plants are doing: well.

Kenaf is one of the quickest maturing fibres—it is ready for harvesting about three months after planting. The fibre is obtained from the tissue .iust under the bark of the stem and under favourable conditions can produce about one ton of dry fibre per acre. Thousands of acres would have to be planted before kenaf could be counted a commercial success but, to date, it promises to be the most likely substitute for scarce Pakistan jute.

Kenaf was grown experimentally by the NSW Department of Agriculture in Northern NSW in 1942 but little has been heard of the results. It also has been grown in South Africa where the Govern ment, in 1949, was guaranteeing growers £65 per ton of fibre or the ruling Cal cutta price for jute, whichever was the higher.

Kenaf makes a very strong fibre but there is doubt whether it can be grown in sufficient quantities in New Guinea to make any impression on the jute shortage.

It probably could be grown to better effect in Queensland —but Australia’s agricultural economy is so overstrained at present that it is unlikely that any new crop will get much of a chance.

The motor vessel, Manu’a Tele, recently took a party of 14 lepers from Apia, Wes tern Samoa, to the Leper island of Mako gai, Fiji.